Independently mounted circuit breaker and operating handle with driving connection therebetween self-compen-sating for misalignment



Sept. 21, 1965 E. F. MEKELBURG 3,207,880

INDEPENDENTLY MOUNTED CIRCUIT BREAKER AND OPERATING HANDLE WITH DRIVING CONNECTION THEREBETWEEN SELF-COMPENSATING FOR MISALIGNMENT Filed Jan. 14, 1963 :5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,4 d .fl' W .n" In" "I 1 13K 22 -2- INVENTOR. M My, BY 2 'Q A TTORNEY.

Sept. 21, 1965 E. F. MEKELBURG' 3,207,880

INDEPENDENTLY MOUNTED CIRCUIT BREAKER AND OPERATING HANDLE WITH DRIVING CONNECTION THEREBETWEEN SELF-COMPENSATING FOR MISALIGNMENT Filed Jan. 14, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1,3 L7 I I 2 I 17 I -20- I 23 I 74 7 2/ I g I I kl r I I I I I I I I I I 1 -/5 I L I 5 ATTORNEY.

Sept. 21, 1965 E. F. MEKELBURG 3,207,880

INDEPENDENTLY MOUNTED CIRCUIT BREAKER AND OPERATING HANDLE WITH DRIVING CONNECTION THEREBETWEEN SELF-COMPENSATING FOR MISALIGNMENT Filed Jan. 14, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 6 34 .35 3734 4.5- K [f f 3b 27 30 I 39 I! ,/29

,7 lhl. MM.

INVENTOR.

- ATTORNEY.

United States Patent INDEPENDENTLY MOUNTED CIRCUIT BREAKER AND OPERATING HANDLE WITH DRIVING CONNECTION THEREBETWEEN SELF-COMPEN- SATING FOR MISALIGNMENT Earl F. Mekelburg, Wauwatosa, Wis., assignor to Square D Company, Park Ridge, 111., a corporation of Michigan Filed Jan. 14, 1963, Ser. No. 251,141 7 Claims. (Cl. 200-172) This invention relates to a circuit breaker actuating mechanism and particularly to an operating connection between an operating handle mounted on the front Wall margin of a circuit breaker enclosure and the circuit breaker within the enclosure.

For purposes of illustration, the invention is described herein as applied to a circuit breaker and enclosure combination of the type disclosed in US. Letters Patent No. 3,059,072, of E. F. Mekelburg et al., issued October 16, 1962, and entitled, Dust Proof Switch Enclosure With Switch and Door Interlock.

As disclosed in the above identified patent, the enclosure is in the form of a metal cabinet including a rear Wall and a front wall which is generally a relatively narrow peripheral flange defining the front opening affording access to the interior of the enclosure. The opening is closed by a hinged door. The control handle for the breaker is mounted on the forward face of the flange. The train of motion transmitting devices interconnecting the handle and circuit breaker are mounted in the cabinet on the side wall adjacent the handle so that their proper interrelations and alignments are readily effected during mounting. On the other hand, the breaker is generally mounted on the rear wall of the enclosure in spaced relation to the side wall, by means of screws or bolts extending through apertures in the rear wall.

Heretofore, during mounting of the breaker onthe rear wall, care and skill had to be exercised in positioning the apertures and installing the breaker so as to assure positioning of the breaker accurately in optimum openating position on the rear wall for assuming proper alignment and connection of the devices with the control handle, as otherwise binding and Wear of the devices and erratic operation would occur.

In accordance with the present invention, the train of motion transmitting devices which interconnect the handle and breaker is arranged with some of the devices mounted directly on the circuit breaker itself, so that they are always in proper cooperative relation to the breaker. The remaining devices proximate to the operating handle are mounted separately on the side wall of the enclosure behind the flange. The devices are so arranged that limited mispositioning of the breaker from its optimum position on the rear wall and resultant limited misalignment of the interconnected devices does not cause binding or adversely affect the operation of the circuit breaker by the operating handle on the exterior of the enclosure. This feature greatly facilitates the mounting of the circuit breaker in the cabinet, both in original manufacture and in servicing, reduces cost of manufacture as compared to the prior types above described.

More specifically, in the present invention the wall mounted devices of the transmission train and the breaker mounted devices thereof, are interconnected by an operating rod which has limited, floating, self-adjusting connections with the output end of the wall mounted devices of the train and also with the input end of the breaker mounted devices of the train, thus providing selfadjustment for compensating for limited mispositioning of the breaker relative to its preselected optimum operating position on the rear wall.

Various objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description wherein reference is made to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a dust proof circuit breaker enclosure with the door open to show the breaker therein, the operating handle on the enclosure being in the off position;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation of a portion of the enclosure and circuit breaker showing in greater detail the connection between the operating handle and circuit breaker;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary right side elevation of the structure illustrated in FIG. 2, and is taken on line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary left side elevation of the structure illustrated in FIG. 2, and is taken on line 44 thereof;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 4, viewed from line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of the structure of FIG. 7 showing the wall mounted devices of the train interconnecting the flange mounted operating handle and the circuit breaker operating rod, as viewed from the line 66 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 7 is a left end elevation of the structure illustrated in FIG. 6, showing the supporting plate therefor, as viewed from line 77 in FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings, and as more fully described in the above identified patent, the enclosure comprises a metal cabinet, indicated generally at 1, which has a rear wall 2 on which the circuit breaker is to be mounted, side walls 3, :a conventional top wall 4 and bottom wall 5, and a marginal front Wall 7. The front Wall 7 is in the form of a peripheral flange defining an opening 8 affording access to the interior of the cabinet. The opening 8 may be closed by a suitable hinge mounted door 9 swingable about a vertical axis to open and closed positions. The door 9 carries suitable latching devices 13, operated by a handle 14, by which it can be secured firmly in closed position.

Various defeater mechanisms, not shown but disclosed in the above entitled patent, may be provided and must be operated to permit opening of the door when the circuit breaker is closed.

A circuit breaker operator or operating handle 15 is pivotally supported by pivot 16, which is mounted in a suitable housing 17 on the forward face of the wall 7, for swinging about the pivot axis to On and Off positions, selectively. The handle 15 is shown in FIG. 1 in .a down position which is in the Off or open position of the circuit breaker. In the raised position of the handle, the circuit breaker is closed.

The structure thus far described is disclosed in the above entitled patent.

The present invention is concerned principally with a motion transmitting train of devices drivingly connecting the self included operating lever of the breaker and the handle 15 on the front wall margin of the enclosure.

The breaker, indicated at 20, is secured to a panel 21 which, in turn, is secured by suitable screws 22, or the like, to the rear wall 2 of the enclosure 1.

The circuit breaker 20 is a conventional one manufactured for general use in this and other types of installations and is well known in the art. The breaker has stationary and movable contacts, not shown, and a selfincluded operating button or breaker lever 23 which swings about a horizontal axis to a lower position in which it moves the movable contacts to open position and to an upper position in which it moves the movable contacts to closed position. Other types of circuit breakers may be used, if desired, for this purpose.

As disclosed in the Mekelburg patent, a link 25 is pivot ally connected atone end to the operating handle 15 by a pivot 26 which is eccentric to the pivot 16 of the handle. Consequently, upon swinging the handle 15 upwardly, the link 25 is moved inwardly and slightly upwardly relative to the cabinet. The link 25 has an enlarged inner end portion 27 to which a complementary link 28 is connected. In the form illustrated, this is accomplished by providing a pair of passages through the portion 27 and by providing on the link 28, a pair of ears 29 which are received through the passages and held in place by a suitable cotter pin 30.

Connected to the opposite end of the lever 28 by a pivot 32 is a rocker 33. The rocker 33 preferably is in the form of two spaced yoke arms 33a and 33b which are secured in proper spaced relation to each other by suitable rivets 34. The rocker 33, in turn, is pivotally connected -by pivot 35 to a supporting plate 36, being held in spaced relation therefrom by a suitable spacing washer 37. The

plate 36 is supported in parallel relation to the side wall 3 adjacent the operating handle 15. The plate'36 is provided with a flange 39 which is normal to the plane of the plate, is juxtaposed against the rear face of the flange 7, and is secured to the flange by suitable bolts 3%. The ends of the yoke arms 33a and 33b at the opposite side of the pivot 35 from the operating lever 15 support inner end portions 40 and 41, respectively, which are bent at right angles to the plane of the plate 36 so as to project inwardly transversely of the enclosure in parallel spaced face to face relation to each other. The portions 40 and 41 are provided with slots 42 and 43, respectively, which are elongated at right angles to the plane of the plate 36, which is lengthwise of the portions 40 and 41.

A dead center tension spring 45 is connected at its upper end to the link 28 at the point of connection of the link with the link 25. At its lower end, the spring 45 is connected to the plate 36. The spring is arranged to cause the link 28 to operate with a snap action in the direction in which it is being moved by the operating handle 15 after it passes the dead center position, all in a an opening 52 therein adapted to accommodate the lever 23 with operating clearance so that, as the slide is moved upwardly, it swings the lever 23 to the On position of the circuit breaker and when it is moved downwardly, it swings the lever to the Off position. The slide 50 has a guide portion 53, integral with the flange, and extending forwardly and rearwardly of the back wall of the casing.

In order to support the guide portion 53, and hence the entire guide 50, for lineal movement vertically, a suitable i supporting bracket 55 is mounted directly on the circuit breaker. This bracket comprises a lower portion 56 which is secured in juxtaposition to the front wall of the circuit breaker by suitable screws 57. The support includes a horizontal forwardly extending flange portion 58 and a vertical flange portion 59 extending edgewise in a direction forwardly of the enclosure.

In order to support the guide portion 53 for vertical lineal movement in a fixed path, the portion 58 is provided with a cut-out 60 providing two arms 61, between slot 67 being elongated vertically so that the guide pin 66 and arms 61 constrain the slide to move in a lineal vertical path with the portion 51 parallel to the front face of the circuit breaker.

In order to actuate the slide 50, and thereby the circuit breaker lever 23, a suitable bail arm or operated rod 70 is provided. The rod 70 is bent at one end to provide an input lever 71 which is received in both slots 42 and 43 of the arm end portions 40 and 41 of the rocker 33. Since these slots are elongated in a direction toward and away from the plate 36, it is apparent that mispositioning of the circuit breaker in a horizontal direction transversely of the back wall toward or away from the side wall limited amounts is compensated for by movement of the lever 71 endwise of the slots 42 and 43. Also the lever 71 can move in directions endwise of its axis in the slots and thus compensate for limited misalignment in these directions. The connection between the lever 71 and rocker 33, therefore, is somewhat floating for limited self adjustment relative to the rocker 33.

The rod 70 has a reversely curved portion 72 at its opposite end. This portion has a free end which is received through a suitable elongated slot 73 in the lower portion of the guide portion 53. The slot 73 extends endwise horizontally forwardly and rearwardly of the cabinet in a plane parallel to the plane 36. This arrangement provides connector means between the rod 70 and the slide 50.

As a result, slight forward or rearward mispositioning of the circuit breaker in a horizontal plane is compensated by the corresponding movement of the free end of the portions 72 in the aperture 73. Slight vertical mispositioning is compensated for by a negligible rotation of the portion 72 about the axis of the rod, accompanied by negligible creepage of the slide 50 along its path.

The free end of the rod portion 72 is the motion output end of the rod and hence its driving end, as distinguished from the portion 71 which is the driven end of the rod and, in effect, the motion input end of the breaker mounted elements of the train of motion transmission devices The vertical flange portion 59 of the bracket is provided with hearing 74 in the form of an aperture through which the rod 70 extends. The rod is mounted in the bearing 74 for oscillation about the axis of the rod and for tilting movement about an axis transverse to the rod axis. However, for stability, it is desirable to have another bearing on the rod 70 and for this purpose the bracket is provided with the upright flange which, as best illustrated in FIG. 3, extends edgewise forwardly and rearwardly of the cabinet. To lightly support the rod 70 adjacent to the wall 3 while permitting it to move or float slightly radially of its axis in all directions, the flange 80 is provided with a bearing 81 in the form of an enlarged slot. Preferably the flange has a finger 82 which is disposed in the slot and extends toward the rear of the slot. It also has two fingers 83 at the rear of the slot. The fingers 82 and 83 are so spaced that the rod portion disposed therebetween can rotate freely relative to the flange and can be moved a limited distance in any direction radially of the rod axis. Thus if pressure is exerted on the rod transversely of its axis, the rod can tilt and that portion in the slot will strike either of the walls of the slot or one of the fingers so that its movement is limited and it is constrained to approximately coaxial relation to the aperture 74. This provides another mounting affording limited floating self-adjusting movement which can help compensate for mispositioning of the breaker on the back wall, including tilted positions of the breaker in the plane of the back wall and forwardly and rearwardly therefrom.

It is to be noted that the portion 51 of the slide extends considerably above the operating lever 23 in the Off position of the lever. This is so that slide 50 cannot be installed if the outer operating handle is in the Off position while the breaker lever 23 is in the On position. If desired, a similar extension may be put on the bottom of the portion 51 so that the slide cannot be installed if the handle is in the On position while the lever 23 is in the On position.

. The arrangement of the slot 73 and loose journalling of the rod in the bearings 74 and 81 and connection of the lever 71 in the rocker 33 permit the rod 70 to adjust itself readily for slight mispositioning of the circuit breaker relative to the back wall forwardly, rearwa'rdly and vertically, and due to tilting.

Thus, a train of driving devices is provided for connecting the handle to breaker lever 23, this train including the link 25 and lever 33 mounted directly on the side wall, and the rod 70 and slide 50 mounted directly on the breaker.

Accordingly, there is provided an economical and semifloating, self-aligning connection between the operating handle on the front margin of the enclosure and the selfincluded operating lever of the circuit breaker itself, and compensation for slight misalignment is provided in all directions or in tilted positions of the circuit breaker.

The circuit breaker may be of the well known type which is trip free so that, should an overload occur, the breaker will trip even though its actuating handle does not move and the handle 15 on the flange mounted is in the On position. In such case, the circuit breaker is reset by merely moving the operating handle 15 to Oif position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A circuit breaker and breaker actuating mechanism comprising a cabinet having a front wall and a rear wall, an operating handle pivotally mounted on the front wall for swinging to On and Olf positions, respectively, a circuit breaker mounted on the rear wall and including a breaker lever movable to On and Off positions, respectively, to close and open the breaker, respectively, a bracket mounted on the breaker, a slide mounted on the bracket for movement in opposite directions along a predetermined path and connected to the breaker lever for moving the breaker lever to said On and Off positions, respectively, an operating rod, bearing means on, and in fixed position relative to, the bracket and supporting the rod for limited tilting movement of the rod transversely of the rod axis and for oscillation of the rod about the rod axis in all tilted positions of the rod, first connector means on, and oscillatable with, the rod and eccentric to, and spaced from, the rod axis, means connecting the first connector means to the slide for concurrent movement with the slide along said path and for rotation relative to the slide about an olfset axis parallel to the rod axis, a rocker member rockable about a rock axis parallel to the rod axis, means drivingly connecting the handle and rocker member, second connector means on the rodand eccentric to the rock axis, and means connecting the second connector means and rocker member for oscillating the rod about its axis by the rocker member, for rocking movements of the rod transversely of its axis and for limited floating movement of the rod relative to the rocker member endwise of the rod, and at least one of said connector means being connected to its associated member for limited floating lineal movement relative thereto.

2. The structure according to claim 1 wherein said bearing on the bracket means comprises a first bearing engaging one portion of the rod and supporting the rod for tilting movement while constraining said portion of the rod from bodily movement transversely of the rod axis, a second bearing on the bracket and aligned with, and spaced endwise of the rod from, the first bearing, and said second bearing supporting the rod at a second portion, spaced from the first bearing, for rotation about the rod axis and for limited movement of said second portion in directions transversely of the rod axis occasioned by tilting of the rod in the first bearing.

3. In combination a cabinet having a rear wall, a side wall normal thereto, and a front wall margin in forwardly spaced alignment with a lateral margin of the rear wall, a circuit breaker mounted in fixed position on the rear wall in spaced relation to the side wall, said breaker including a breaker rock lever rockable about an axis parallel to the rear wall to On and Off positions, a slide mounted on the breaker for movement to and fro along a predetermined lineal path and connected to the breaker rock lever for operating the breaker rock lever, an operating handle mounted on said front wall margin for swinging about a fixed axis, parallel to the rocking axis of the rock lever, to Open and Closed positions, a mounting plate mounted within the cabinet adjacent the side wall, a rocker member mounted adjacent the plate for rocking about an axis parallel to said fixed axis, means drivingly connecting the handle and rocker member for rocking the rocker member by said swinging of the handle, an operating rod mounted on the breaker for limited tilting movement of the rod transversely of the rod axis and for oscillation about the rod axis in all tilted positions, first connector means connecting the rod to the slide for driving the slide by oscillation of the rod about its axis in all of said tilted positions of the rod, second connector means connecting the rod to the rocker member for oscillating the rod about its axis by the rocker member in all of said tilted positions of the rod, and one of said connector means being connected to its associated member for limited movement relative thereto endwise of the rod.

4. A circuit breaker and breaker actuating mechanism comprising a cabinet, an operating handle pivotally mounted on the cabinet for swinging to On and Off positions, respectively, about a predetermined axis, a circuit breaker on the cabinet and including a breaker lever movable to On and Off positions, respectively, to close and open the breaker, respectively, a bracket on the breaker, an operating slide slidably mounted on the bracket for movement in opposite directions along a predetermined path and connected to the lever for moving the lever to said On and Off positions, respectively, an operating rod, bearing means on the bracket supporting the rod with its axis generally parallel to said predetermined axis and for limited tilting of the rod transversely of the rod axis and for oscillation of the rod about the rod axis in all tilted positions of the rod, first and second arms on, and extending laterally from, the rod and spaced axially from the rod from each other, said slide having a connecting portion spaced from said rod axis, said first arm having a connecting portion eccentric to the rod and connected to the connecting portion of the slide for movement therewith along said path, for rotation relative thereto, for limited movement relative to the slide endwise of the rod, and for limited tilting movement, relative to the slide, in a direction transversely of the rod axis, a rocker member mounted on the cabinet independently of the breaker and in spaced relation to the breaker, for rocking about a rock axis parallel to said predetermined axis and having a connecting portion eccentric to the rock axis of the rocker member, said second arm having a connecting portion eccentric to the rod axis and connected to said connecting portion of the rocker member for movement therewith about said rock axis, and for concurrent movement relative thereto endwise of the rod and endwise of the second arm.

5. The structure according to claim 4 wherein the connecting portion on the slide has an elongated slot which, endwise, extends transversely of the rod axis and of said path, and said connecting portion of the first arm is accommodated in the slot for said movements relative to said connecting portion on the slide.

6. The structure according to claim 4 wherein said second connecting portion of the rocker member has an elongated slot which, endwise, extends generally endwise of the rod, and said connecting portion of the second arm is accommodated in the slot for said movements with, and relative to, said connecting portion on the rocker member.

7. The structure according to claim 4 wherein the connecting portion of the slide has an elongated slot which, endwise, extends transversely of the rod axis and of said path, and said connecting portion of the first arm is acv References Cited by the Examiner 'comrnodated in the slot for said movements relative to UNITED STATES PATENTS said connecting portion of the slide, said connecting por- 7 tion of the rocker member has an elongated slot which, 1,365,007 1/21 Flatt 200 172 endwise, extends generally endwise of the rod, and said 5 g gi 38 752 connectin ortion of the second arm is accommodated I 1 n g p 2,418,006 3/47 Bangert Y 200 472 in the slot of the rocker member for said movements with, and relative to, said rocker member. BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner. 

3. IN COMBINATION A CABINET HAVING A REAR WALL, A SIDE WALL NORMAL THERETO, AND A FRONT WALL MARGIN IN FORWARDLY SPACED ALIGNMENT WITH A LATERAL MARGIN OF THE REAR WALL A CIRCUIT BREAKER MOUNTED IN FIXED POSITION ON THE REAR WALL IN SPACED RELATION TO THE SAID WALL, SAID BREAKER INCLUDING A BREAKER ROCK LEVER ROCKABLE ABOUT AN AXIS PARALLEL TO THE REAR WALL TO ON AND OFF POSITIONS, A SLIDE MOUNTED ON THE BREAKER FOR MOVEMENT TO AND FRO ALONG A PREDETERMINED LINEAL PATH AND CONNECTED TO THE BREAKER ROCK LEVER FOR OPERATING THE BREAKER ROCK LEVER, AN OPERATING HANDLE MOUNTED ON SAID FRONT WALL MARGIN FOR SWINGING ABOUT A FIXED AXIS, PARALLEL TO THE ROCKING AXIS OF THE ROCK LEVER, TO OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS A MOUNTING PLATE MOUNTED WITHIN THE CABINET ADJACENT THE SIDE WALL, A ROCKER MEMBER MOUNTED ADJACENT THE PLATE FOR ROCKING ABOUT AN AXIS PARALLEL TO SAID FIXED AXIS, MEANS DRIVINGLY CONNECTING THE HANDLE AND ROCKER MEMBER FOR ROCKING 